Academic writing session 3

Please find below a piece of my theoretical framework.

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Patient experiences

The experiences of patient are receiving more and more attention, because of the
recognition of the values and benefits of these stories in improving healthcare services
(Van de Bovenkamp, Platenkamp & Bal, 2020). Patient experiences in the form of stories
give a good understanding of the everyday life of a person with a certain condition, their
treatments and the received healthcare services.

One of the most important works in relation to patient stories is the Wounded Storyteller
by Frank (2013). This book presents a shift where an active patient storyteller takes the
place of the passive patient, who is merely seen as a victim of his or her condition. Frank
(2013) distinguishes four sorts of egodocuments: The chaos narrative, the restitution
narrative, the quest narrative and the testimony. The chaos narrative is about the chaotic
period right after one is struck by a disorder. These stories are unstructured because of
the disruption in one’s life. After the chaos is ‘lived’, the restitution narrative comes in
place. Here the focus lays on the will and desire to recover and be healthy again. This
narrative finds it roots in the institutionalization of the model of how illness is perceived.
An example is a hospital brochure where patients are depicted who underwent treatment
and recovered fully of their condition. When these illusions are taken away and one comes
to the realization that they have to deal with a chronic condition one speaks of a quest
narrative. The focal point in these stories is not only the acceptance of the illness but also
seeking to use their stories for a higher purpose, for instance to help out others. Finally,
the testimony distinguishes itself from the other sorts since it ‘’does not simply affect
those who receive it; testimony implicates others in what they witness’’ (p.143). The
patient telling the story is a witness, and not only a victim. This sort of story is the most
prevailing told of the sorts of stories since it tells the story where the person in a way has
developed a distance from their illness and found balance to be able to bear witness by
an ego document.